


Cameo Lover

by cellardoors_and_petrichor



Series: Iron Man vs. Arrow [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe, BAMF Women, Best Friends, Canon Related, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Felicity is Tony Stark's Daughter, Fluff and then drama and then different drama and then some hurt/comfort at the end, Growing Up Together, Happy Ending, Kidnapping, Minor Violence, Secret Identity, Stiletto Heels, Superheroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-25
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-09 00:06:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3228650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cellardoors_and_petrichor/pseuds/cellardoors_and_petrichor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A break-in at Stark Industries pushes Felicity Smoak to learn that she is a lot tougher than she thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! The whole premise of the story is based off of [this gifset](http://goo.gl/bCixE6); however, I have taken a lot of liberties, so there is a lot of surprise in store for you yet.

**Prologue**

It’s no secret to anyone that Tony Stark has money to burn – his company always hovers at the top of The Fortune 500 list, the first place a perpetual competition between Robert Queen, Bruce Wayne, and himself. It’s also no secret that Pepper Potts holds the purse strings. That’s why, instead of just being high-class philanthropists that shove money at non-profits, the power duo also spends once a month volunteering at the places Pepper finds particularly important. Most of the time Tony begs her to let him off the hook because he wants to tinker in the basement before having to go into the office but this morning was different.

Soft light filters through sheer curtains as Pepper wakes to find their large bed empty. She patters barefoot down to the kitchen, finding her husband uncharacteristically alert and dressed – something that doesn’t usually happen until at least 9 a.m. on the weekend, let alone 7:30 a.m. She takes the proffered cup of coffee and wraps her fingers around the mug for warmth. 

Picking up a piece of toast, she smiles and says, “I thought you were allergic to getting out of bed.”

He gives her a pointed look. “No, I’m allergic to the dog.” He nods his head towards their German Shepherd, Calvin. “I just don’t usually want to get out of bed, especially when I have such a beautiful bedmate, isn’t that right Calvin?”

The dog barks and jaunts over to them at his acknowledgement.

Pepper gives the fur on his head a good tousle. “He is pretty cute.” She finishes her toast and checks her watch, adding, “Alright, I’m going to shower and we can leave in 45 minutes.” 

-

They make it to the orphanage by 8:30 a.m. with a bunch of technological goodies. The kids all run over to where they are and Pepper spends most of the time talking to them, though he does manage to get in some good G-rated jokes every once of a while. Tony stands up to stretch his legs when he notices a little girl sitting in the back of the room with a book in her hands. He walks over and crouches down in front of her. 

She’s four, maybe five years old with long brown hair wrangled into two pigtails. Her small pink glasses almost hide her vibrantly blue eyes while she lies on her stomach, the large book – a textbook – opened up on the floor. She’s tapping her little pink colored nails along the floorboard and either doesn’t seem to notice him next to her or doesn’t care.

“Hi. What’s your name?” Tony asks.

She turns a page but doesn’t look up from the book as she responds, “Felicity. What’s yours?”

“My name is Tony. What are you reading?” He asks as he takes a look at the book, pulling the right slide of the cover up from the floor quick enough to read the title. _Introduction to Algorithms_. “...And how old are you?”

She’s still looking at the book as she responds, “I’m five years old. This is a book that tells you how to get computers to do whatever you want. One day I’m going to make computers that help sick people.” 

Intrigued, he probes further, “Why are you making a computer that helps sick people? Isn’t that what doctors are supposed to do?” 

She looks up at him then with eyes revealing the soul of a child who had to grow up too soon. “The doctors couldn’t help save my mommy and daddy after a truck smushed into their car”, she says very matter-of-factly. 

Tony gets a little choked up at that, relating all too well to her story. He had enough of a hard time losing his parents a few years ago at the age of 21. While very cognizant that he is in an orphanage, he couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have them ripped out of your life so young. She climbs in his lap and continues on, as though she didn’t just step on his heart. “Why do you have a light on the inside of your shirt?” she asks, poking at the glow from his chest. 

He takes a look down at the small finger as he replies, “My heart has tiny pieces of metal in it so it’s there to keep me from getting sick.” 

“Oh.” She sticks her ear against his chest, listening. “Is it a tiny computer? It’s making that really quiet whir noise.” 

He smiles a little at the question. “No it’s called an arc reactor.” 

“NO WAY!” She squeals. “I read about those in one of the science magazines at the library. Do you know the guy who invented it?!” 

Tony definitely can’t keep his smile contained when he replies, “My dad invented it, but I helped make it a little better. He would have loved you.” 

It seemed impossible, but she squeals even higher than before. She asks, “Can I meet your daddy one day?” 

He becomes a little sad at that, wishing that he could introduce her to Howard Stark. “Unfortunately, no. My parents got in a car accident too.” 

He sees a blur of color before her little body collides into his, her small arms wrapping tightly around his neck and giving him an enthusiastic squeeze before letting go. She climbs off his lap and disappears under her bed as she speaks, words muffled by the bed. “I know something that will make you feel better.” 

When she reappears, she places a well-loved teddy in his lap. Its fur is worn down in places and the ear is pulled slightly, revealing just a bit of his stuffing. She introduces it as if an old friend. “His name is Einstein. My mommy and daddy got him for my last birthday. When they were gone and I was sad, I would hold him until I didn’t feel sad anymore. You can borrow him, if you want.” 

“Thank you, Felicity. I’ll bring him back really soon, okay?” 

She beams at him. “Okay Tony!” She launches another hug at him before she goes back to reading her book.

- 

Pepper is waiting for him at the front of the building when he walks up with the teddy in his hands.

She laughs good heartedly, “Did you adopt a teddy bear?” 

He holds up a finger and gives her a mock serious look. “I’ll have you know, it is on loan from a smart little girl.” 

“Obviously she wasn’t very smart if she was entrusting you with her favorite toy”, she teases. “Why do you have it anyway?” She asks as they get into the car.

“She was trying to make me feel better.”

Pepper works on her phone as he looks out the window thoughtfully. In just about 20 minutes, Felicity had him wrapped around her little finger. Without preamble, he announces, “I think we should adopt her.”

She looks up from her phone to gauge his true feelings and she points out, “Tony, that’s a really big commitment. Do you really think we could manage to run the company, maintain your superhero activities, and raise a child?”

He’s looking at the bear as he traces his finger around the teddy’s eyes and nose. “She’s special.” He looks up at his wife to convey his seriousness. “Do you know what she was reading? A book on computer algorithms. What five year old do you know that would even have the ability, let alone the interest to read a college level textbook? She deserves to go to a school that will challenge her.”

She looks out the window, fingers still poised above her phone screen for a minute before sighing. “You call the lawyer and I’ll work on designs for her bedroom when we get back.”

 -

Tony and Pepper bring Felicity home on a Friday. She’s carrying her teddy by its left arm as she drags it along the floor, too preoccupied by the house and every electronic on the way to the front door to even notice. Tony had been looking forward to showing her his workshop today, but it takes them so long to even get inside that he changes his mind. At this rate, they will make it to the kitchen in about twenty years. Pepper seems to be having the same train of thought and diplomatically hurries her along. She kneels in front of the little girl and gives her a smile to get her attention.

“Hey sweetheart? We do have a lot of fun electronics in the house, but we thought you might want to see your room.”

Felicity’s mouth drops open and she disbelievingly says, “I. Have. My. Own. Room?! That is SO cool! My old house was just one big room with a kitchen and living room and bedroom all in one. I’ve never had my own room before!” She’s smiling so wide that it breaks their hearts. 

Pepper holds her hand out, “Should we go have a look?”

“YES!” she squeaks. Pepper clips her strides to keep at the same pace as a running five year old, while Tony walks slightly behind them, smiling with hands in the front pockets of his suit pants. He can tell when the ladies get to her room when she lets out a scream.

“JARVIS?”

"Yes sir?”

“Are all the windows still intact?”

“I do believe Miss Smoak’s decibel level is far below that which would shatter glass.”

He rounds the corner to her room and smiles at his two favorite women. The new bedroom is gorgeous, walls waiting to be graced with toys and drawings and pictures – with new memories.

Felicity is jumping up and down on the bed as Pepper excuses herself, “I’m just going to go downstairs and make some lunch.”

Felicity keeps laughing and jumping until she plops down, breathing heavy and looking up at the mosquito net hanging above her bed. She sits up and stretches out her arms, making grabbing motions for Tony to walk over. When he’s close enough she grabs his arm to pull him down on the bed next to her. She looks back up at the ceiling and says, “I think it’s missing something. Do you have any construction paper?”

Tony rolls off the bed to pull out an awfully big arts and crafts box. Just the sight of it lights up Felicity’s eyes. She pulls out construction paper, glitter glue, safety scissors, and some tape, setting them nicely on the floor.

“What are we making?” 

“Well this flow-y net kind of reminds me of the sky and you know what else is in the sky? Stars! Can you help me make some?”

They are making star #4 when Pepper returns, enough egg salad sandwiches, Cheetos, carrots, and apple juice for three. She sits down cross-legged on the floor, slightly away from the impromptu crafts and arts area and announces lunchtime. Felicity, who had been previously concentrating very hard on drawing, if the stern face and little tongue poking out her mouth were any indication, looks up with a smile and drops her pencil, forgotten on the floor. She runs over and gives Pepper a hug before taking the plate of food. 

“Thank you so much! How did you know Cheetos were my favorite?!” She says before enthusiastically eating her lunch.

“I’m actually a mind reader.”

Felicity gapes and drops her carrot on her plate before resuming her talking with a sheepish smile. “If you’re a mind reader than I guess you know how much I love everything. Thank you for being my new family. You guys are the best.”

Tony scoots over to give his misty-eyed wife a smile and a peck on the cheek before the three of them dig into their family picnic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my wonderful beta Trekkiepirate.
> 
> To find the inspiration for the title of this fic, see "Cameo Lover" by Kimbra. 
> 
> The next chapter in five words or less: Oliver and Felicity meet.


	2. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver Queen, meet Felicity Smoak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felicity's [party dress](http://goo.gl/xQQBCW)

As bitter the rivalry between Robert Queen and Tony Stark in terms of business they do manage to make a truce once a year to plan a joint philanthropic event – mostly because Howard Stark had respect for the Queen patriarch. As Felicity was new to the family, Tony had tried to get out of his obligation with Robert who volleyed with the proposition of bringing his son, Oliver, along with him.

The Queen men show up at the mansion in the afternoon at Pepper’s insistence.

Robert Queen flashes his billion-dollar CEO smile while he moves in for a hearty handshake. “Tony! How wonderful to see you as always. This is my son Oliver. Moira sends her regards but apologizes that she couldn’t make it.” 

Tony tacks on a smile of his own as he greets his rival. “Robert Queen – good to see you.” He holds out his hand for the small boy to shake. “And it’s wonderful to meet you Oliver. Would you like to meet my daughter Felicity? She knows where all the fun toys are.”

Oliver smiles at the prospect of not having to listen to old people droning on and replies with a hearty, “Yes!”

“Fantastic. JARVIS will you please let Felicity know Oliver is here?” 

- 

Felicity is sitting in her room whose previously bare walls are now covered in crayon masterpieces. She loves that drawing brings to life anything she wants. Sometimes she draws daisies, her favorite flower, to tend to in her pretend garden while other times she draws the cars she has seen in the basement, adding embellishments for her own taste (regardless of the laws of physics because that’s the fun of drawing.) She’s adding the last leg to a picture of a robot that she intends on giving to Tony when JARVIS calls her. 

She runs down the stairs, holding the handrail when she stops in her tracks at the bottom step. Oliver is looking up at her expectantly and she suddenly feels shy because his pretty blue eyes are staring at her. She walks slowly towards him until she holds out her hand, with all the seriousness of a businesswoman. 

“Hi. I’m Felicity Smoak. I’m five.”

He smiles at her as he shakes her hand. “My name is Oliver Queen. I’m seven.”

She holds onto her skirt as she twists her body nervously as and bites her lip. Not only is he a boy but he’s also seven; she wants to impress him so she offers doing the coolest thing she can think of.

“Do you like bugs? There are these beetles and ladybugs at the back of the garden. Sometimes you can even see a butterfly.”

Seemingly satisfied, he nods his head while holding out his arm for her to lead the way, “Let’s go.” 

-

The weather is beautiful: blue cloudless skies encouraging playtime. The bottom of Felicity’s dress is splattered with mud and Oliver’s slacks are smeared with grass stains on the knees before they make their way back to the house. The two spend all afternoon running around and laughing while looking for insects and playing hide and go seek. The smiles never leave their faces. Felicity has never had a friend like Oliver and she hopes he will visit her again.

Halfway up the small hill, Felicity trips and scrapes her knee. She sits on the ground and hugs her knee while tears well up in her eyes. Oliver kneels down in front of her, facing her as he puts his hands on her shoulders. He’s clearly concerned as he asks, “Hey. Felicity. Are you okay? Do you need me to get your dad?”

She pouts but shakes her head no, disrupting some tears from her eyes. He wipes her tears away before he stands up and says, “I’ll be right back.”

He returns moments later holding out a daisy to her. “They’re your favorite, right?”

She nods her head and accepts the flower before he sits down next to her. He twists his body to hug her around the shoulders. He pulls her towards him and she lays her head on his shoulder. They sit quietly under the sun while he holds her and gently pets her hair until she tells him she’s ready to go back. He takes her hand and holds it all the way back to the kitchen.

After she is patched up, Felicity and Oliver sit on bar stools in the kitchen drinking cold lemonade from straws. Felicity draws patterns in the condensation on the canvas that is her glass while they wait for their parents’ meeting to be wrapped up.

She’s staring at the glass when she says, “Thank you, Oliver.”

He places his free hand over hers, giving it a quick squeeze before replying, “Of course, Felicity.”

-

One week later at the gala the adults arranged, Felicity is decidedly very bored. At the beginning of the party, she had been excited because she got to wear the pretty new dress she picked out. The pink sequined party dress has an angled net shell marked by a peek of tulle at the skirt. Around the waist a matching pink satin sash is tied into a bow. She had been hoping to find Oliver, since she knows he is in attendance as well.

Eventually, the constant flow of rich people begins to frustrate her and she looks for a moment of silence. Her new family is not like any of the other people she met this evening, and she suddenly feels very alone and out of place. 

Felicity is laying under one of the dining tables, sequined heels just poking out from underneath the tablecloth when Oliver spots her. He smiles at the sight, so very Felicity, before crawling underneath beside her. Her eyes are closed and she has clearly not noticed her company before Oliver speaks.

“You know, my mom would be so mad to find me sitting on the floor in this suit.” 

She peaks one eye open and smiles at her friend before he carries on.

“What are you doing under here anyway?”

She opens both eyes and her smile falters. She makes a dramatic motion with her arms as she sighs. “I’m just not used to all this fancy stuff. All the old people are boring and not just _regular_ boring, _extra especially_ boring.” She finishes with a quiet,  “I’m not like everyone else here…”

Oliver lies down next to her and takes her hand. “You’re right. You’re not like everyone else here. You’re so much better. You know what I like to do sometimes? I like to make pretend stories about these kinds of people. Maybe we could do that.”

The two sit up, still partially underneath the tablecloth as they make up fanciful stories about the people around them. They spend the rest of the party side by side until Oliver’s dad motions that it is time to leave. He runs over to him without saying goodbye and it hurts so she turns around to find Tony but she turns back when Oliver speaks.

“I’ll miss you Felicity. My dad said that if your parents say it’s okay we can visit each other. Would you like that?” She nods her head and gives him a little smile as he continues, “Awesome! Okay, well I have to go now but I’ll see you again soon.”

He rocks back and forth on his loafers with his hands clasped behind his back before he leans forward to kiss her on the cheek.

“Bye Felicity.”

“Bye Oliver.”


	3. Growing Pains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity lets her boys know how much they mean to her.

It's not long before Tony Stark and Oliver Queen decidedly become the two most important men in Felicity’s life.

-

Tony Stark is everything Felicity could hope for in a new father. He’s kind and patient, seeming to understand the loss she feels when she thinks about her birth parents. When she gets upset, he’ll put her on his shoulders and take her down into the basement to show her this or that. She becomes enthralled with every piece of technology he puts in front of her, from the TV remote to pieces of his Iron Man suit.

He also gave her Pepper. Pepper is always so caring and funny. She helps Felicity braid her hair at night and sometimes even paint her nails - it's from Pepper that she picks up a penchant for bright colors. She’s a wonderful mother.

Together, their family is strong: bound with love and laughter.

-

One day, about a year after her adoption, she wordlessly walks into the basement and sits on the seat reserved for her next to Tony. He always seems to know when to say something and when to wait for her to start. He’s currently opening some hardware on his suit when she begins.

“Hey, Tony?” she says, looking thoughtfully at an empty space across the basement.

He pauses his tinkering to give a sideways glance to his daughter. He hadn’t expected Felicity to come into his life; in fact, he hadn’t planned on ever being a father at all until he met her.

“Yeah, baby girl?”

She turns to face him, acting shy and hesitant instead of with her usually exuberance. “Is it okay if I call you guys Mom and Dad?”

Tony puts the piece of metal down and gives his full attention to her. His eyes are wide as he tries to process what she’s said. Of course he _feels_ like her father and he knows that she considers them family, but he hadn’t anticipated her wanting to acknowledge them as such. He brings her into his arms as he says, “Of course you can.” Adding a kiss on the cheek for emphasis.

They don’t dwell on the moment and they don’t speak about it again, but Tony would be lying if he said that being called ‘Dad’ didn’t mean the world to him.

-

Oliver Queen, however, is something else altogether. He is everything she could hope for in a best friend. He never maliciously teases her, especially never about being adopted – unlike some students at her school (she did skip several years, making her younger than all her peers). He can make her laugh by doing the silliest things. She especially likes how brave he is. Most of all, she likes when he gives her a smile that makes her heart squeeze.

Oliver also brought more people into her life. Robert and Moira Queen are like second parents to her; Thea is still quite young, but Felicity already considers her a little sister; And Oliver also gives her another close friend in the form of Tommy Merlyn.

-

The relationship between Felicity and Tommy has a tumultuous start. The first time Oliver introduces them, Tommy acts like a real jerk by making fun of her glasses. In fact, she gets so upset that Oliver pushes Tommy in the pool just to make her laugh. It’s in that moment, when he is blinking chlorinated water out of his eyes and spitting it out his mouth, that Tommy realizes how important Felicity is to Oliver. Afterwards, he gives her a heartfelt apology and treats her like the sister he never had.

When Rebecca Merlyn dies, Oliver calls Felicity. Tommy hasn't spoken to anyone in a week, only barely eating and rarely leaving his room. She flies to Starling City to comfort Tommy, knowing all too well how it feels to have someone so special ripped out of your life. She holds Tommy while he cries and she says all the right things to make him feel just a tad bit better.

After that, the three of them run like a well-oiled machine. Tommy spends all his time at the Queen manor anyway, so when Felicity visits she spends most of her time with her two boys.

-

It’s summertime about two years after she becomes an honorary Queen that she approaches Oliver. It has just been the two of them sitting in his tree house all afternoon, using the shade as a respite from the heat. This tree house is their hideaway from the adults and the world. Felicity, Tommy, and Oliver have spent hours reading comic books and playing games in here, so to her it feels like another home. After her parents died, she couldn’t have imagined having a new home, let alone three.

Oliver is thumbing through the newest Spiderman comic when Felicity sits up in her beanbag chair.

“Hey, Oliver?”

He’s still flipping through his comic as he responds, “Hmm?”

“Are we….” She trails off, a little nervous about his answer to her question.

Her hesitancy gets his attention and he looks up at her. “Are we what?” He asks, genuinely interested in what she has to say. He’s always genuinely interested when it comes to Felicity.

“Arewebestfriends?” She rushes the question out. He smiles at her.

“Ah’course we are.” His best friend can be so confidant most of the time that he sometimes feels a little sad when she gets self-conscious like this. He always tries his best to make sure she feels special.

Just as Felicity intermittently worries about losing him, Oliver worries about losing her. His outside is all bravado but his inside sometimes twists in worry that she might one day realize she is too good for him. Because she is. She’s so sweet and smart – a bonafide genius. Why would she be hanging out with a kid like him? 

-

As the years go on, their friendship becomes harder and harder to maintain. A long distance friendship is already difficult, but a long distance friendship with high profile lives is even harder. Adding fuel to the fire, Felicity starts putting a lot of time and energy into her studies. When high school comes around, she has less and less free time to spend with Oliver. Her trips to Starling City diminish drastically in number and she becomes so engrossed in finishing school early that she doesn’t realize the toll that her increased workload is having on her friend.

Make no mistake, Oliver is extremely proud of his best friend but he misses her so damn much. He's sure that if she were here, at the same school as him, she could make high school bearable. More importantly though, he wishes he could have her to himself like when they were kids and would spend countless hours in that tree house of his. He’d still like to take her up there now and kiss her like he has been wanting to since he had a very...vivid dream of the two of them. He was slow to realize his feelings for Felicity but he thinks that it may have always been this way, that he has cared about Felicity from that very first day in her garden.

Felicity graduates high school the same year Oliver becomes a senior. While she flies off to MIT, Oliver is stuck at home. The distance between himself and his best friend - both physical and emotional - becomes painfully apparent. That’s the thing that breaks him. If Oliver can’t have Felicity, he’ll drown his sorrows with girls and drugs and booze and parties.

Little does he know that on the other side of the country, Felicity is missing him too. She had tried to finish high school early to be able to spend more time with Oliver but MIT had offered a deal she couldn’t refuse. She likes MIT a lot, but it doesn’t feel like home. It's when she's feeling particularly homesick that she learns one of the hardest lessons: home isn't a place, home is the people you love. And how she just wants to be with the people she loves, so she works her ass of at college like she did in high school.

On the rare occasions she does make it back for holidays, she makes time to visit Starling City. She sees Robert and Moira, does some shopping with a blossoming Thea, and even spends some time with Tommy but everyone knows how much she wants to see Oliver. Of course they make plans but he blows each of them off without even an explanation. She'll sometimes see him in passing, wasted with a different scantily clad girl in his arms each time. Tommy and Thea always shoot her a sympathetic look.

The last straw is his failure attend her graduation. She’s hurt and angry and so she tells herself that when Oliver gets back from his trip to China, she’ll give him a piece of her mind whether or not he wants to hear it.

Oliver doesn’t make it back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter. Please do leave comments so I know what you like and what you'd like to read! We'll be getting into the real actual plot soon, so I'm excited.
> 
> The next chapter: the ship is not the only thing wrecked.
> 
> Also, side note, I do write little drabbles and ficlets so [prompt me](cellardoors-and-petrichor.tumblr.com/ask) sometime.


	4. Wreckage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity, Thea, and Tommy learn how to live without Oliver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Sorry for dropping the ball there. I had a bunch of work that had to get done BUT I'm back on track so I hope you enjoy:

It’s a Sunday, a day that’s meant for sleeping in, so why for the love of everything good is her phone ringing so early? Felicity had spent Saturday night at the lab, working far too late, drinking far too much coffee, and ultimately not remembering to forget about Oliver. She tries to lie completely still to trick her body into realizing it’s still asleep until her phone starts ringing again, at which point she gives in and picks it up.

“Yeah? What do you want Merlyn? It’s too fucking early for whatever this is.”

Her first clue should have been that she has never known Tommy to be up before noon on a Sunday morning, but ultimately she is stricken by the silence she is met with in response to her snarky greeting. An uneasy feeling settles in her stomach and she sits up, feeling tendrils of panic rising in her.

“What’s wrong Tommy? Are you okay?”

She hears him huff, making a bitter noise being passed off as a laugh. It’s an ugly sound that does nothing to squelch the dreadful feeling that something is terribly, terribly wrong.

“I’m about as far away from okay as you can get but apparently Moira won’t be moved, I mean she’s probably gone into shock at this point, and our baby sister Thea won’t stop crying so will you please come to Starling City?”

“Tommy, you’re not making any sense. What’s wrong? Did something happen? Is anyone hurt?”

“Oliver and Robert are gone.”

“What do you mean gone?” When did her heart start beating so fast?

“I mean ‘lost at sea’ or maybe ‘dead’, I don’t know. All I do know is that last night there was a storm in the North China Sea and the Queen’s Gambit went down. Can you make it out here? I don’t think I can get through this, whatever it is, without you Lis.”

She opens her mouth more than once with the intention of offering comfort, of saying something, but the words don’t come out and it takes Tommy repeating that awful nickname of hers to snap her into the present.

“Uh, yeah. I have to get a few things together here but I’ll let you know when I’m on the tarmac. Hang in there, Tommy.”

“You too.”

Before the call is even over, Felicity is already out of bed and has taken out her suitcase. Unfortunately for her, fast packing is not her forte and one look at the empty luggage on her bed has her deciding that she needs her parents’ help.

-

“Mommy.”

Pepper looks up from the paper, concerned by broken tone with which Felicity calls her attention. More than that, Felicity hasn’t called her ‘Mommy’ since she was about 12 years old. She slides off the stool to walk over to her daughter. Something is clearly very wrong.

“What’s the matter baby?”

Instead of an answer, Felicity runs into her mother’s arms and starts bawling. It’s the kind of crying that emanates from very deep within the soul. She’s never known Felicity to cry like this before. She runs her hand over her daughter’s hair and waits. Eventually she calms down but Felicity makes no move to break from the embrace until Tony walks into the kitchen.

“What’s going on?” Felicity misses the concerned look her parents share over her head.

“Oliver’s gone.” She almost whispers. “The Queen’s Gambit was wrecked last night.”

As if saying the truth out loud sparked action, she removes herself from her mother’s hold to stand up straight and wipe the tears from her face. “Mom, I need to go to Starling City. Can you help me uh…” Felicity isn’t even sure what even needs to be done.

Pepper smiles warmly. “Of course sweetie. I’ll make a few calls. I can have the jet ready in about an hour. Have Dad make you some breakfast.” She gently pushes her daughter to sit in her seat and with that she excuses herself and walks barefoot towards her home office.

Tony settles his look on his daughter and feels so helpless. He’s not an idiot. He knows that his baby girl is in love with Oliver Queen, much to his chagrin might he add.

“What do you feel like for breakfast?” Tony asks his daughter.

She’s looking at her hands in her lap. “I’m not hungry.”

“Well, okay. I’m feeling like chocolate chip pancakes. Maybe you can just sit with me while I eat.”

As he makes breakfast, they don’t speak. It’s not as though either of them know what to say. When he sets down a plate of pancakes and a cup of coffee in front of her, she moves to protest but ultimately picks up her fork instead of using the energy she doesn’t have to fight him. By the end of the meal, Felicity has brightened significantly – though the image is still a dull reflection of her usual demeanor. Pepper makes her way back into the room and smiles at her two favorite people.

“Do you want me or your mom to go to Starling City with you? You know we wouldn’t mind.”

“It’s okay, Daddy. Thank you for breakfast.” She gives him a peck on the cheek.

“I’ve had Natalie put some things in a suitcase for you and it’ll be ready to leave with you on the plane in 35 minutes. I’ve also delayed your projects for now, until we can decide what you want to do. There will be a car to take you to the Queen mansion from the airport. Is there anything else you need?”

She gives her mother a small smile. “No, that’s perfect. This is just what I needed you guys. Thank you.”

With that, she says goodbye to her parents and makes her way to Starling City.

-

At the front doors of the Queen mansion, a tired looking Tommy meets her. He looks happy to see her, at least as happy as one can be in these circumstances. He pulls her into a fierce hug.

“Lis! Finally. I’m so fucking glad you’re here.” They’re both obviously on the verge of tears so a heavy silence settles between the two friends as they hold onto each other. Tommy takes a step back before clearing his throat.

“Moira is doing a lot better than before but Thea won’t calm down. She cried herself to sleep twice already. She won’t eat. She won’t even talk to me anymore. She’s locked herself in her room. Could you maybe coax her out while I ask Raisa to make us some lunch?”

“Sure thing Tommy.”

-

When she gets up to Thea’s room, she knocks gently and calls out to her. Expecting resistance, she is surprised to find herself with an armful of gangly twelve year old.

“Hey Thea.” The little girl holds on tighter at the greeting.

“Lis! Oh Lis!" Thea whispers her next question, "Do you think Dad and Ollie are dead?”

“No. You know that your Dad is a fighter and Oliver loves you too much to let you go.” She gives a small sad smile to her self-proclaimed little sister.

“You too, you know? Ollie loves you too.”

“I know. C’mon. Raisa’s making grilled cheese. I know how much you love her grilled cheese.”

-

Thea, Tommy, and Felicity are inseparable for the next few weeks. Felicity becomes a temporary resident of the manor and everyone in the house is frustrated by the fact that no one can find neither the ship nor its passengers, no matter how much money they pour into the endeavor. Eventually, Moira holds a funeral that the children attend only for Moira’s sake, as the rest of them still hold onto some hope that Robert and Oliver will be found.

After two months, Felicity decides that real life must resume. She goes back to work at Stark Industries with promises to return to Starling soon. Felicity gets herself a therapist and she throws herself into her work. Before long, she has more than earned her new title of VP of biotechnology and Stark Industries is making faster advances in the field than any other technology company. Even with her new workaholic lifestyle, she makes time to grow closer to her Starling City family.

Tommy’s father gives him an ultimatum that sparks him into opening a new nightclub in the old Queen steel factory in The Glades. Felicity takes a week off to help Tommy set up all of the club’s electronics. At his request, Felicity helps Tommy act less like the playboy he once was and more like the successful businessman he now is. Tommy in turn helps Felicity by making sure she takes time off of work to have fun and socialize.

Both she and Tommy make sure Thea grows up right. Felicity helps Thea work her way through high school and when she graduates, she does so with a 4.0 GPA. Both Felicity and Tommy help her move into her new apartment near Starling City University. Tommy even convinces Felicity to do a background check on Thea's new boyfriend Roy.

Over time, the three of them become thick as thieves.

-

Felicity has gotten used to the fact that Thea tends to call at the most inopportune times. During a particularly stressful week, Felicity receives an unexpected yet welcome call from her little sister. She doesn’t even have time to say hello before Thea’s yelling in her ear:

“Ollie’s home!”

“Oh. Wait, what!?”

“I know, right Lis?! When are you coming out here?”

“About that. I would Thea, but I can’t right now. I have a meeting in Dubai this week and next week we’re revealing my new biotechnology. But I’ll put you guys on the guest list to the gala we’re holding. Bring Tommy too.”

“You're choosing work over your best friend?!"

"Thea, my best friends are you and Tommy. Oliver hasn't been my best friend for almost a decade."

"Yeah, but he's come back from the dead! That must mean something."

"I really am glad that he is alive but what will mean something is when Oliver calls me himself."

"Okay. Fine. But maybe you can try to give him a call, all right? I’ll text you his new number.”

Felicity does try calling Oliver, more than once, but he doesn’t pick up. She tries not to feel hurt and though she fails, even she can’t deny that she gets the best night of sleep she has had in five years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments?
> 
> The next chapter: hotties and hostages.


	5. Chinatown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The break-in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well. Hello there gorgeous. Thank you for still reading this.
> 
> You should know: I don't speak Chinese, so instead of trying to pretend like I can, I have italicized an English conversation instead.

Oliver is in Thea’s penthouse apartment when Felicity calls for the third time. When he came home he understood that things would be different, but he didn’t expect them to be this different. His sister is in _college_ and she lives with her _boyfriend_. Tommy _owns a goddamn business_. And Felicity, well he did expect her to be where she is now though not so _blonde_.

Oliver thought he could come back to town and use his old “Ollie” persona to cover up his secret crusade, but given all the changes, he has to rework his whole plan. Now being Ollie would leave him sticking out like a sore thumb and, more than that, Felicity didn’t like when he was Ollie. He can’t bear to see her disappointed in him. Much like she probably is right now because he isn’t picking up her calls. He wishes she knew why he isn’t answering. There’s no one he wants to talk to more, but he doesn’t know where to start when it comes to the two of them.

-

Before dinner at the mansion, Thea had cornered him and shoved a smartphone in his hand.

“Just so you’ll keep in touch.”

“Thea, I’m going to be just down the hall and Tommy practically lives here.”

“Well first of all, I don’t live here anymore, I live at my apartment near SCU. Second of all, much to my chagrin, Tommy practically lives with me too. I didn’t want to overwhelm you, but there is plenty of room in my penthouse for my favorite brother. And anyway, I wasn't taking about me and Tommy. I was talking about Felicity.”

“Thea…”

“You may be my brother, Ollie, but she’s my big sister. Try to at least pretend you care.”

-

Thea has it all wrong. Oliver has always cared too much. He cared too much before he was marooned but during the long nights on Lian Yu, in Hong Kong and Russia, Felicity became one of his biggest reasons for coming home. She became his strength, his everything.

“Why the long face, Ollie?” Thea inquires from across the breakfast bar. He is definitely not ready to talk about either his time away or Felicity, and deflects.

“Nothing. What’s up Speedy?”

He looks at her expectantly, glad to have a distraction, and she makes a face at the nickname.

“I just got off the phone with Tommy. The three of us are going to spend some quality time together in New York City next week.”

“Really? Why New York?”

He can already sense the answer is about Felicity before she says, “Stark Industries gala. Felicity’s baby is going public next week.” Oliver must make a face because she rushes to add, “Not a real child! A metaphorical one. You remember those nanobots she used to go on about? Well she made them into a real thing. So we’re going to support her and it’s final. Plus, I thought maybe a little vacation with us could be fun.”

“I’m not opposed to a trip with you and Tommy, you know. You could’ve said we were all going to the DMV and I would've been excited then too.”

There’s a pause. Thea shifts the conversation. Her tone gets really soft as she says, “You know, she would probably really love to hear from you.”

He drops his eyes to the counter. “I know. I just don’t know what to say. It wasn’t like we were on the best of terms before I died.”

“Maybe not. But now’s your second chance. Don’t run away from her this time. I mean you’re not getting any younger and I’d like to have a niece or nephew before -- ”

“And with that, Thea, I am going to bed. Goodnight.”

Oliver gives his sister a kiss to the crown of her head and makes his way up the guest room in silence.

In the Hong Kong International Airport Oliver had heard Chien Na Wei would be making a visit to the United States. At the time, he wasn’t too concerned as there was no mention of Starling City but learning about the unveiling of the Stark Industries biotechnology – Felicity’s biotechnology – has a dreadful feeling settling in. China White is a ruthless warrior and while this nanotechnology could be used for wonderful things, he has no doubt that the Triad will try to weaponize it if given the opportunity.

And Felicity is in the crosshairs.

Fuck.

-

One week, an unexpected bodyguard, and a plane flight later, the Starling City heirs find themselves in a very authentic part of Chinatown for dinner. The restaurant is, of course, a front for the Chinese Triad but his companions don’t need to know he is using this opportunity for a little reconnaissance.

“That is one big fried fish,” Tommy remarks as the plate is set down in front of them.

“I was told this was the most authentic Szechwan in town,” Oliver comments with a smile.

Oliver actually enjoys himself learning about his sister and friend. He asks them all sorts of questions about what he missed when he was away. Thea is getting her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a business minor.

“Someone has to run the company, Ollie.”

And Tommy’s club is making so much money that he doesn't even have to touch his trust fund.

“Which is a good thing because it is no longer existent.”

He almost forgets that he has a mission besides spending time with them until he sees the flash of a mob tattoo on the man that walks past them and he has to excuse himself from the table. Oliver quickly makes his way to the back office and manages to knock one man out while squirting hot sauce in the other’s eyes. He grabs the conscious man and shoves him against the wall. He thinks briefly of all the times Shado criticized his accent before he starts speaking in Chinese.

“ _When is the Triad robbing Stark Industries?_ ” Oliver spits out at the man.

“ _I don’t work for the Triad_ ,” the man cowers with eyes screwed shut.

“ _You’re not making Dim Sum back here._ ”

“ _I don’t know what their plan is,_ ” the man insists, his words not completely purporting innocence.

“ _But you know something._ ” Oliver is out of patience and wishes he had his bow here instead of at the apartment they're renting for the week. He grits his teeth and growls, " _Tell me._ ” 

“ _Tonight. The heist, it’s supposed to happen tonight._ ”

-

Oliver is running through the halls towards Felicity’s lab. Oliver nearly lost his mind while waiting for an opportunity to duck out on Thea and Tommy. He moves to slow down so that he can even out his breathing. He doesn't want Felicity to be aware of him until it's absolutely necessary. He takes up sentry across the room from her and lets out an inaudible lovesick sigh. He could reach out and touch her if he tried, but he won't because he can't. He isn't Oliver Queen right now, he's The Arrow.

It's another fifteen minutes before China White and another Triad member shows. He wordlessly shoots at the boss who catches the arrow.

" _Go!_ " She yells at the man with the nanobots.

Oliver tries to stop his retreating form before being engaged in hand-to-hand combat by Na Wei herself. The two of them are well-matched and Oliver has to focus all his energy on fighting the Chinese assassin. When China White lands a particularly well placed blow, Felicity gasps. Worried that something is wrong with her, Oliver foolishly spares the slightest glance at her direction. It is only brief but it gives China White the opportunity to knock him out. 

Felicity stares at the assassin, who looks prepared to kill both the masked vigilante and her. Felicity fully expects to be brutally murdered when the other woman unexpectedly flees instead. And by flees, she means disappears into thin air because that chick was a ninja.

“Huh. Where’d she go?” Tony voices her own unvoiced thoughts, before checking over his daughter.

“Finally! Could you have taken any longer Dad?!” she exclaims. Felicity, who had unconsciously moved to protect the crazy leather clad guy with a concussion from the assassin, moves away to push down his hood. She waits a few seconds and blinks twice, eyes unbelieving, before turning to her dad.

“Is it just me or does this look like Oliver Queen?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter: Arrow v. Iron Man shenanigans ~
> 
> And write me something sweet (or sour) in the comments? D'you see that Chinese food pun I just made? You're welcome.
> 
> Update (2/23): I lied about the Arrow v. Iron Man shenanigans. The next chapter is a bunch of Olicity feels so I apologize for having to delay Oliver x Tony. BUT I promise it is going to happen so plz don't fret.


	6. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver wakes up.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay? I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone here. Do you want me call Steve? Natasha? Hell, I’d even be happy if Phil were here.” Tony looks at his daughter with concern, while holding an unconscious Oliver Queen in his arms.

“Dad, the faster you fly him to my apartment, the faster you can come get me. Anyway, I need to take a look at our security software to find out who in our company is screwing us over. So shoo!” Felicity, exasperated, motions for him to leave.

“Okay, now hold on. Your _apartment_? Yeah, no. Why can’t we just drop him off at the curb of the ER?”

“Do you really not see the whole green leather, grease paint, quiver thing going on here?” Felicity makes a vague motion towards Oliver. “His pupils reflexively dilated, he’s breathing, and his pulse is strong, that’s good enough until I can look him over better. If we take him to a hospital, he will never forgive me. When we were kids, he used to get so mad when superheroes’ secret identities were revealed, and anyway, it’s not our secret to tell. Now, please. Go.”

Tony narrows his eyes and the two of them hold a staring contest that Felicity wins. “Fine. I’ll be back in ten minutes, but you’re staying on the phone with me and JARVIS the whole time. Got it?”

-

Three make-up wipes, two cups of coffee and an hour later, Felicity begins pacing. Oliver is mostly fine, a little battered and bruised but healthy. She’s not worried about him waking up. She’s just worried about him. After initially stripping him (to his boxer briefs thank you very much) to check for any other injuries, she noticed the scar tissue all over his body. The sight brought her to tears.

Sadness, though, was quickly replaced by anger. Felicity didn’t know who the white haired woman was, but Oliver did. He was standing there for who knows how long, and didn’t bother to say anything. Not even a perfunctory, ‘Hey, there is a crazy assassin after your life work so I came to protect you. Nice to see you by the way.’ No. If she had known she was about to be robbed, she could have called her dad. If he had bothered to say something, he would still be conscious and she would still have her nanobots.

And she’s angry with him for making her feel guilty for being angry. She plops down on the couch facing the bed with a frustrated noise. If these were different circumstances, she would probably laugh at how fast Oliver sits up. His muscles are tense as his eyes scan the room, looking for a threat. It makes Felicity ask herself: what exactly did he go through for him to react this way? When his eyes land on her, he looks like a deer caught in headlights.

“Felicity?” He whispers disbelievingly.

She missed the way he says her name. No one fits quite so much emotion in those four syllables. With a tiny smirk, she replies, “Morning, Sleeping Beauty.”

She crosses the room to hand him some ibuprofen and an ice pack. He swallows the pills but throws the ice pack to the side, choosing instead to jump from the bed and pull her into a bone-crushing hug. With the embrace, her anger melts away and she sinks into him, her head resting on his chest and her arms circling his waist.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” he confesses quietly, almost as if reassuring himself that this is in fact not a dream. He pulls away and reaches out for a lock of her hair, her breath hitching at the intimacy. “I like it blonde.” He says with a smile before fastening it behind her ear.

They stare at each other wordlessly for a minute before Oliver asks, “Felicity, what am I doing in your bedroom...mostly naked?”

“Uh, this Chinese woman with white hair knocked you out so I brought you back here because I was about 95% sure that that is your secret identity,” she says while pointing at the folded leather suit sitting at the foot of her bed.

She can tell the moment he remembers by the way his features turn concerned. “Are you okay? What happened? Why are we not dead?” He fires the questions out in rapid succession.

“Well, you know, my dad showed up. Oh wait! That happened while you were gone. Okay, so my dad is Iron Man and --"

"Did you just say your dad is Iron Man?"

"Yeah, there was this whole thing that happened that made him have to reveal his secret identity. Anyway, I’m fine, but that woman --”

“China White,” he supplies.

“China White, she got away. Don’t think I’m not pissed that you didn’t warn me about her. And I’m also mad that I know you wouldn’t have told me about this whole green leather thing if I didn’t have to take care of your concussion. I’m seriously angry with you Oliver!” She ends her rant with a huff.

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes still with a tiny smile, “I just didn’t want you to see this part of me and I thought I could protect you. But I guess you're probably the most well guarded person in this city.” He gives her a lopsided grin before letting out a disbelieving laugh and shaking his head.

“What’s so funny?” she playfully demands.

“I haven’t smiled this much in a while. I think the last time was your graduation. I was just so proud of you. I still am.”

“Wait. What?! You were there?” She nearly screams, inching into loud voice territory.

“Of course I was there,” he defends, as though it should be obvious.

“Do you know how much grief I was going to give you about missing it before you, well…you know.”

“Died.”

“Yeah, if you want to get morbid about it.”

He grabs her hand and gives it a kiss. “If it’s any consolation, I’m glad I was shipwrecked on that island.”

“Even the whole…” She makes a clawing motion towards her own body to wordlessly acknowledge his scars. He grimaces.

“I could've done without that, but I wasn’t a good person when I left. I can’t tell you how sorry I am Felicity.”

She lets out a sigh and her shoulders sag. “Why did you push me away?”

“You probably don’t remember this but once you started high school you became really busy, and then before I knew it you were off to MIT. I suppose that I was scared I was losing you, so I thought I could end things on my own terms. It didn’t really work. I just ended up more miserable.”

“Oh, Oliver…”

He lightly grabs her shoulder and looks into her eyes. “No, don’t feel bad about it. We're here now.”

“We're here now," she echoes quietly. "Oliver, I'm worried. Someone wants to use my technology to hurt people."

"I know."

"And I'm going to stop them."

"I know."

"I know? That's all you have to say? You're not going to try to stop me?"

"We both know that I couldn't change your stubborn mind even if I wanted to. And I don't want to. I want to help. We're stronger together."

"Oh,“ she punctuates with a yawn.

“Hey. Why don’t you get some sleep, huh? We can strategize in the morning.” He turns to leave but she grabs his right hand with both of hers before he can walk away. His brow furrows in confusion.

“Can you, uh, stay? It’s just, you know, assassins almost killed me and I live alone. I mean… you know what? Never mind. I’ll just drive over to my parents’ house.”

“Felicity. It’s fine. I’ll stay. Do you want me to take the couch or the floor?”

“Don’t be stupid. My bed is big enough to fit like four people.”

Felicity pulls back the covers and gives him a small smile as she gets into bed. She think that it should be awkward. Several years have passed since they last did this. When they were kids, they would sometimes fall asleep together, the by-product of staying up too late at night. As they got older, it became less of an accident and more of a means for comfort. To her surprise, it doesn't feel awkward at all, it feels right. She is suddenly aware of the fact that Oliver is alive and well and less than a foot away from her, so she scoots over and cuddles him, her head resting on his chest. He initially tenses. When she starts to pull back, he wraps an arm around her to keep her close.

“Goodnight Oliver.”

“Goodnight Felicity.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I lied in the last chapter notes, but I'm going to have to put off the Tony x Oliver interactions once more. Chapter 8 will have some great scenes (trust me) and you'll know why when you read the end of the Chapter 7.
> 
> As always, I'd love to know what you think about this chapter and the story in general!


	7. Stilettos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Warning: graphic depiction of violence_. It's only two sentences long, so I wasn't sure if I was still supposed to change the whole fic's warning thing. Anyway, if you don't want to read it, skip the fourth and fifth paragraphs of the second section.

Felicity's outfit [[1](http://www.polyvore.com/clf1/set?id=150705648)], Oliver's outfit [[1](http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=150812368)]

-

Oliver wakes up to the buzzing sound of his cell phone. His initial irritation is replaced with happiness when he takes in his surrounding. The bed is warm, soft light is filtering through sheer curtains, and the woman of his dreams is pressed against him. He smiles down at his bedmate as he answers the phone.

“What?” Oliver demands, voice rough from sleep.

“Well good morning to you too, grumpy.” Thea says, sassing his attitude.

 _Who is it?_ , Felicity mouths.

“Good morning, Thea. What do you need?” Felicity’s eyes go wide and a little panicked. It reminds Oliver that he needs a cover story.

“Imagine my surprise, waking up to find my brother isn't home." Thea is less than thrilled. "We’re getting lunch with Felicity, remember?” Her question sounds a little confused, a little curious. Oliver can tell that she's fishing and by the looks on Felicity's face, she can too.

“I’m just doing some sightseeing.” He takes the time to generously check Felicity out. She notices and hits him on the arm, to which Oliver just grins. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back in time to leave for lunch. Okay?”

“Tommy and I are ready now. We’ll just meet you. Where are you?" Thea says, waiting for Oliver to fill in the blank.

“Central Park?” Felicity nods her head at his words. Her apartment is close enough to get there in a reasonable amount of time.

“Is that a question or a statement?”

“A statement. I’m in Central Park.”

“O-kay. Perfect. We’ll come get you and then we can all walk to Felicity’s. See you in 15 minutes.”

“Okay, bye.”

Seconds later, Felicity’s phone buzzes, showing a text from Thea: _Meeting Oliver at Central Park and then coming over. You have 30 min to get ready._

Oliver becomes aware of a serious problem.

“Felicity, please tell me you have clothes I can borrow.” He tilts his head towards his Arrow outfit and quiver.

“Uh… Let me check.” She walks over to her closet and Oliver is relieved to find her returning to him with a shirt and some jeans. “So… we’re going to pretend we didn’t just sleep together?”

Oliver sends her a sad smile. “I think that would be for the best for now.” It hurts him when Felicity casts her eyes to the ground.

“Yeah, of course. I guess I’ll see you in half an hour.” She walks away from him towards the bathroom with one final glance. He wishes he knew the words to say to wipe that look off her face. When the door click shuts, he changes and leaves her apartment with a resigned sigh.

-

Felicity turns up the heat of her shower in hopes of making herself forget Oliver’s rejection. She’s not sure where they stand after last night and it makes her uneasy. Did it means as much to him as it did to her? Did the concussion stop him from thinking clearly? Is he even emotionally available right now?

She decides to compartmentalize and put her feelings for Oliver in a box for another time. She has enough to worry about with retrieving her nanobots, not to mention the work she’ll have to do with the PR team to make sure word doesn’t get out. The last thing Stark Industries needs is to be held responsible for a madwoman’s theft, and the repercussions of that theft – the likes of which make her nervous. 

She gets ready quickly and is just putting on her heels when a figure appears in the doorway of her bedroom. The man is Chinese, about 30 years old, dressed in a suit. He stands before her with his face expressionless. She thinks that look is as scary as it can get. The man drops Tommy's keys on the floor. Both Thea and Tommy have spare keys to her place. She fleetingly wonders how much force was used to take them.

The adrenaline kicks in as Felicity decides what to do. The man is blocking her only exit, and there is no way she can overpower him. She chances a glance to her wardrobe, where she keeps a gun. All she has to do is rush to her right, but can she move fast enough? She moves towards it and the man moves towards her. Felicity kicks him in the shin, knowing that the pointy toe of her heels must hurt somewhat. The pain brings out his anger and she renounces her previous statement – the anger is definitely scarier. He grabs her and turns her around so her back is to his front, his hand covering her mouth and his other arm holding her tight to him. He starts to move backwards out of the room and the movement gives her enough slack to effectively slam her foot down on the kidnapper’s (or maybe murderer’s?) foot. She feels more than hears the crunch of bones and is nauseated by the resistance her shoe meets against his foot muscles.

When she glances at the place where her heel has stabbed through the assailant’s foot, she is momentarily frustrated that her Louboutin heels are now ruined before she feels the prick of a needle and her world fades to black.

-

When Oliver finds Thea and Tommy, they look at each other as he's approaching. They both know whose shirt Oliver is wearing.

“Hey, you know what boys? I’m going to go grab us some coffee.” Thea shoots Tommy a face before she crosses the street, walking into a café. Oliver notices but doesn’t comment on it and takes a seat on a bench next to his friend. They share a silent moment, until Tommy interrupts. 

“Did you sleep with Felicity?” Tommy bluntly asks.

“What? No. Why would you ask that?” Oliver says unconvincingly, blindsided by the question.

“That’s, uh, my shirt. I guess I left it at Felicity’s place last time I...” Oliver heart drops.

“Last time you what?” Oliver asks with the tilt of a head. He knows his answer as soon as the uneasy look appears on Tommy's face.

“Felicity and I may or may not have had a thing while you were gone.” Tommy winces, as though the confession pains him.

“A thing?” Oliver echoes flatly.

“Just, you know, a friends with benefits and occasional dating thing.”

“Oh.” Unwanted images of Tommy and Felicity _together_ come to mind. 

“But look, that’s ancient history.” Tommy punctuates the statement with a clap on the shoulder.

Oliver doesn’t know what to say. Tommy fills the silence.

“Look man, I’m sorry.”

Oliver scrubs his hand across his face. “No, don’t apologize. I was gone.” He lets out a frustrated sigh before he continues, “I just keep getting reminded that the world went on without me in it.”

He gives his friend a broken smile and is extremely thankful to find Thea walking back towards them.

-

Despite previous tension, Tommy, Oliver, and Thea make it comfortably to Felicity’s apartment. They have a relatively light conversation about nothing and everything, with jabs at Oliver’s sleepover thrown in every once in a while.

When they reach Felicity’s building, Tommy moves to take out his keys from his pocket. He pats his jacket and his jeans before saying, “I guess I left my keys at the apartment. I could have sworn I had them on me though.”

Thea rolls her eyes and gets out her own. The three of them ride up to her floor and walk to her apartment. Upon arrival, they notice the door is slightly ajar. Thea comments out loud first, “That’s weird. She always locks her door.”

Oliver starts to panic and orders Thea and Tommy to stay close by him. He rushes to her bedroom, hoping that maybe she’ll be there, which of course she isn’t. Everything looks fine and Oliver can almost convince himself that she is okay, until Thea grabs a hold of Oliver’s arm with a vice grip.

“What is it?”

“Felicity never goes anywhere without her cellphone.”

Tommy bends down and picks up his keys. He looks up at Oliver and Thea with the guiltiest expression. Both Thea and Tommy look absolutely broken; Oliver knows that he looks worse. He pulls himself from Thea's hold and roughly runs his hands back and forth through his hair. He starts pacing while he formulates a plan. He doesn’t want to seem too suspicious, but he also can’t do nothing so he says, “Why don’t you two go over to Stark Tower while I stay here and call the police?”

Thea and Tommy look wearily at each other and back at him before reluctantly agreeing. Thea grabs his biceps and looks him in the eye.

“Okay but call us if anything happens, Ollie. And come straight to us when you’re done with the police. And be safe!”

“I will, Speedy.” He quickly pulls his sister into a hug and kisses her forehead.

As soon as Tommy and Thea are out of earshot, Oliver calls Tony Stark.

“Tony, it’s Oliver. Felicity’s been kidnapped.”


	8. Warehouse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I missed you. Anyway, here's another chapter. I don't speak Russian so just like with the Chinese conversation in Chapter 5, the Russian conversation here will be italicized. In the second part of the chapter, the italics are also used for internal monologging though you should be able to tell the difference.

To his left, in the living room, Oliver sees Thea and Tommy holding mugs of coffee while talking to Pepper. In the kitchen, to his right, he sees Tony speaking on the phone in a hushed tone. As soon as he hangs up, Tony wordlessly motions for Oliver to follow him. It’s a move that makes Oliver rather nervous.

Felicity’s words from the night before have been on repeat and Oliver is still trying to come to terms with Tony being Iron Man as he is led into a workshop. The sheer amount of technology in the room is overwhelming. Though not completely deprived of technology for five years, the last stint of his stay on Lian Yu was spent without it. He looks around, abruptly ending his perusal after taking in Tony’s expression. Considering that Felicity is a complete daddy’s girl, it's no surprise that Tony is furious.

“First of all, congratulations on being not dead. You know, both living despite being shipwrecked as well having been saved by me last night. Now, would you like to tell me why you broke into Felicity’s lab?” Oliver notices that Tony finishes with the same huffing noise Felicity had made the night before. Despite himself, he smiles until he remembers why he’s here to begin with.

“On my way back from China, I overheard rumors that the leader of the Chinese Triad was to return to the US. When Thea told me about the gala and the new technology, I just knew she was in danger. That’s why I tried to protect her.” Oliver pauses. “I’d do anything for Felicity.”

Tony isn’t too surprised that Oliver has changed. He should know. A traumatic life experience will do that to a man. He closes his eyes and while pinching the bridge of his nose, he lets out a heavy sigh.

“Sir?”

“Yes, JARVIS?” He replies without opening his eyes.

“Ms. Romanoff is here.”

“Let her in.”

Before Tony can finish his sentence, Oliver has begun to assess the redhead walking through the door. She’s even shorter than Felicity, probably about 5’3” without the boots. Something about her feels off. She walks with a combination of seduction and murder, a way of carrying herself that is reminiscent of something from his past. He’s still trying to decode the puzzle as she sits in Tony’s chair and puts her feet up.

“What’s this about Tony?” She asks, almost sounding bored.

“Felicity’s been kidnapped by the Triad.”

" _Well fuck me sideways._ " Natasha curses under her breath. Oliver raises his eyebrows, surprised both by her choice of expletive and the fact that it's in Russian. He briefly wonders if she is KGB before Natasha continues, “What’s the plan? I have to meet Clint at the hangar in six hours; unfinished business in Budapest. And who’s this?”

Oliver steps up with an outstretched hand, “Oliver Queen.”

Unlike most peoples’ stares, hers feels particularly piercing. “Natasha Romanoff.” She searches his eyes as if looking for something. She apparently finds it, if the satisfied smirk she gives him is any indication.

“Great. Now that we’re done with introductions, maybe we could get back to thinking about my kidnapped daughter.” Tony says passive aggressively.

It’s Oliver’s breaking point. He lets out a low growl before he spits out, “I’ve done nothing but think about Felicity since I got back.” Even Natasha can tell that Oliver doesn’t mean since being in New York. Of course she knows who Oliver Queen is. She doesn't walk into anything completely blind. Plus, Pepper loves to gossip on occasion.

Diplomatically, Natasha tries to diffuse the situation. She looks between the men as she says, “Why don't we come up with a plan?”

Oliver sets both his palms on the metal desk beside him and bows his head. He takes a deep breath before he raises it; both Tony and Natasha notice the change in his eyes.

“Do either of you know where the Triad works in this city? Felicity's safety is guaranteed at least until China White tries to move the product. She knows that she needs both the technology and Felicity before she can sell it to the highest bidder. Tonight, the auction will be held after dark. Until then they’ll both be held someplace secure. Where, I can’t tell you; I just don’t know this city as well as Starling.”

Natasha speaks first, “Tony, go check the abandoned buildings over near the shawarma place. Just recon. Even though I know how much you want to go in guns blazing, I’ve crossed paths with China White before. If she's there, she’ll kill without hesitation.”

Though not looking happy about it, Tony suits up and heads uptown, leaving Natasha and Oliver alone. He doesn’t even realize he is pacing until Natasha grabs his bicep.

“C’mon pretty boy. You’re driving me crazy. You and me, let's go.”  She slips out of her shoes while she talks. Oliver is looking at her with a confused expression: his eyebrows knit together, his head tilted, and his arms crossed over his chest. The look leaves his face when Natasha moves in for a hit that Oliver blocks reflexively. The two spar throughout the lab, their fighting intensifying until Oliver is left holding a blade against Natasha’s throat. Both her lack of fear and surprise indicate that she let him win.

“ _Fuck!_ ” He shouts in Russian as he throws the blade across the floor.

“ _You speak Russian and yet you’re not Russian._ ” Natasha raises an eyebrow in question.

“ _It was either learn Russian or die._ ” He spits.

“ _Ah._ _Bratva. You know Anatoli Kynazev?_ ” She asks.

“ _Yeah. Who is he to you?_ ” Oliver replies warily.

“ _Uncle Tolya._ ” She says with a smile.

-

Across the city, Felicity spits out another mouthful of bloody saliva onto a dirty warehouse floor. After waking from a drug-induced sleep, Felicity was livid. She started screaming and pulling at her restraints until she was sedated again. Since waking a second time, the men in front of her have been trying to torture out the encryption code. She already let them know about the fail-safe, and that the software is more secure than they could ever imagine. The next time they asked her about it, she said she forgot.

“Do you think you’ve remembered now?” The man leers at her. Felicity may be scared and in pain, but she isn’t completely helpless. It’s been twenty minutes since she started covertly trying to get out of her restraints and she is one minute away from dislocating her thumb. She has just been left alone with a single captor, giving her the best chance she’s got. She still hasn’t answered his question and Felicity’s certain she’s about to be hit again so she plays innocent.

“Wait! Wait!” She says with fake desperation, even going so far as to waver her voice. The man leans in close, and Felicity thinks to herself: _I_ _t’s now or never._  She carefully shifts her grip on the chair before kicking the man in the groin. He doubles forward and Felicity uses the chair - to which she was previously tied - as a means of knocking him out. She pulls out the man’s gun just in time to see the other returning, and with one well-placed shot, he’s on the floor too. She'll have to thank Natasha for the arms lesson later. Despite the ruckus, no one else seems to be rushing through the door.

Sitting on the cold warehouse floor, Felicity sincerely hopes that her father and Oliver are on their way. On the outside she is all bravado, but on the inside Felicity is terrified. The fear that her work could be used to defile and destroy chills her to the bone. Or maybe that’s the blood loss. _There’s only so much blood a girl can lose before she passes out_ , she thinks as her eyelids start to droop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you'll indulge me; I couldn't write in the marvel universe and not bring in Natasha. Let me know your thoughts about the story so far by leaving me a comment below. Here's the one Russian word I know: _Spasiba_ (thank you)!


	9. Reunion Pt. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is extra especially long because it's the last one! Enjoy ~
> 
> Also, "solnyshko" means little sun

As soon as they locate the Triad’s hideout, Oliver and Natasha make their way uptown to join Tony, via motorcycle. Since both of them agreed that Tony would be less receptive to Oliver, Natasha proposes their tactical plan. Tony doesn't approve anyway.

“But what about – ” Tony tries making his final appeals before being interrupted.

“We'll take care of her. You know I'd never let anything happen to my solnyshko.” Natasha reasons before she pauses and adds, “Here goes nothing.”

Tony punches through the door and is off before Oliver can turn his head to look, a good thing considering it seems like every member of the Triad is here. As they make their way through the hallways, Oliver is thankful to have just sparred with Natasha. They work together to efficiently take out everyone between them and where Felicity is most likely being held. They come to a stop just a few yards shy of the door. China White stands before them, ready to fight. When Oliver takes another glance behind her, he really processes that she is the only thing standing between him and Felicity. Before Oliver can attack, Natasha says, "Go! I can handle this. She needs you.”

Oliver makes his way around the fighting and, in haste, near pulls the wooden door off its hinges. With one final glance behind Oliver sees Natasha knock China White out, just before the door closes.

-

Felicity hovers on the line between consciousness and unconsciousness for what feels like days, though in reality is only a couple hours. She is forcefully brought back into the land of the living when she is picked up off the floor. The overhead lights are too harsh on her eyes, she’s dizzy and disoriented, and her side is on fire. She starts to panic because this person is clearly very strong and she's relatively small, meaning she has no chance of overpowering him. And where did that gun go? She begins hyperventilating, which really hurts, as every movement reminds her that her ribs are not ok. Her muscles are taught and she’s in agony. She would be embarrassed by the whimper she lets out if she had enough energy and cognizance to do so.

“Shh, shh, shh. Felicity, it’s okay. It’s just me,” a gentle voice says. The panic begins to fade at the sound of Oliver’s voice. He starts to soothe her, kissing her temple and whispering comforting things that she can't quite parse out.

Felicity shows the faintest smile, a little surprised at the fact that Oliver Queen came to her rescue and a lot surprised that he’s being so affectionate. It’s not that she doubted him, she just thought it would be her dad carrying her out of this place. As Oliver tries to walk up the stairs, Felicity’s ribs scream in protest and she lets out a pained groan that turns into a nasty cough which turns into another pained groan. The noise makes him still as she nuzzles her face into his shoulder. 

“Felicity, baby, what’s wrong?” He sounds distraught, and _did he just call me baby?_

She inhales shallowly and takes comfort in his smell. Her next words is muffled by his shirt, “Ribs. Headache.” She feels short of breath and it’s making her lightheaded. She is briefly apologetic for most likely bleeding on him but the thought is fleeting and she is quickly overcome with fatigue. She’s so tired, and he’s so warm. Maybe she can rest for just a minute.

-

The scene presented to Oliver is not exactly what he expected. One, two guards on the floor. A metal chair turned over onto its side. Felicity propped up against a wall with a gun loosely held in her hand. Her _limp_ hand. He rushes over to her and he feels deep emotions for the first time in a long time. She looks so lackluster, a contradiction to her usual enthusiastic self. He crouches down and says her name, but she doesn't seem to notice. It’s not just the silence that spurs Oliver into action. Her hair is a mess, her glasses are askew, and her dress is slashed near her stomach. He hovers his hands along the length of the laceration along her abdomen, glad to see it's not too deep.

It's disconcerting to see her with this many cuts and bruises, with dried blood caked on various parts of her body. Though conscious, her eyes are unfocused and glassy. He moves forward, practically on top of her, to gently cradle her face in his hands and though he says her name again he receives only a slow blink in response. He uses a thumb to wipe away blood at the corner of her mouth. Even with the slightest touch, Oliver can tell that she is cold. Her skin is too pale and if she weren't somehow still wearing lipstick, he's sure her lips would look blue. She's not wearing a coat to shield her from the chilled air and concrete floors aren’t exactly know for their warmth. He shrugs off his jacket and wraps it around her as best he can.

He manages to remove the gun from her loose grip without disturbing her, relieved to feel her pulse is strong but angered to see the irritated red marks left by the zip-tie. He unconsciously takes the time to fix her glasses before picking her up. He’s made it about three paces before Felicity falls into a fit of panic. She begins hyperventilating, clearly aggravating her injuries. The whimper she lets out breaks his heart.

“Shh, shh, shh. Felicity, it’s okay. It’s just me.” He punctuates his statement with a kiss to her temple. “You’re okay. I’m here now. You’re safe. I’ve got you.” He whispers a litany of comforting words, unknowingly switching between Russian and English, as he moves across the room as quickly as he can without hurting her. He manages to set one foot onto the bottom step before Felicity protests his movements, though not in so many words. She instead lets out painful noises that cause him to still.

“Felicity, baby, what’s wrong?” He demands quickly, hoping that she’s lucid enough to actually tell him what’s wrong and _did I just call her baby?_

He barely hears her say, “Ribs. Headache,” because her face is buried in his shoulder. He does know just how much fractured ribs hurt. 

“Okay Felicity, stay with me.” He encourages her to stay awake but realizes his words fall on deaf ears as he feels her relax in his arms. The rise and fall of her chest and the beating of her heart are the only things holding him together.

-

Felicity wakes to an incessant beeping sound and a dry mouth. She tries to sit up and feels the unpleasant sensation of stretched stitches. She’s definitely strongly drugged but she’s still grumpy and refuses to open her eyes. Felicity is only a morning person after a cup of coffee. She wants to roll over and sleep a little longer, until she feels someone squeeze her hand.

“Felicity.” She wouldn't have to open her eyes to know it's him. Even now, Oliver can still make her name sound like more than one complete sentence. It’s a question and a statement wrapped in one: _Are you okay?_ and _I’m so glad you’re alive._ What Felicity doesn’t know is that it’s also his way of saying _I love you_.

She tries to speak but utterly fails. She makes grabbing motions in the direction of the cup on her bedside table. The movement is definitely uncomfortable. Felicity takes a sip and looks at his face. She can see the marks on his forehead, soft impressions from wrinkled sheets. She moves their joined hands and sticks out two fingers to try to smooth out his forehead. Through a cracked voice she asks, “What happened?”

He cocks his head and furrows his brow in confusion as he gently asks, “What do you remember?”

She is surprised she has to actively think about that. China White. Triad. Warehouse. Her eyes widen dramatically. When she turns to him, she starts talking so fast that he can hardly keep up, “Oh! I remember being kidnapped and then tortured. Oh and sitting in the warehouse on that floor, which was freezing cold let me tell you. Oh god, Oliver! We need to get out of here and – ”

Felicity's hand slips from his and she's pulling at her covers so quickly that Oliver almost jumps up from his chair. He hovers over her and halts her movements with a gentle press on her shoulders. What stops her is not so much the physical restraint but rather the proximity.

“Stop. You need to rest. Your ribs are fractured and you'll pull your stitches.” He says, clearly worried despite the multiple times he has faced worse trauma - not that Felicity know that. She may have seen his scars but she doesn't know the stories that accompany them.

“But Oliver – ” She begins, trying to make an argument.

“Felicity,” Oliver interrupts with pleading eyes, “Rest. Please. Everything and everyone is safe. Natasha took care of China White. We need to focus on getting you better.”

We. The short word lingers in the air. It’s amazing how two letters can mean so much. Felicity’s eyes now take in the bigger picture, and she notices how haggard he looks. His clothes are a little wrinkled and he has dark circles under his eyes that make him look thoroughly tired, inside and out. It’s overwhelming and she blurts out, “You look terrible.” She covers her mouth with both her hands, face warming from embarrassment.

It makes Oliver smile a little to know that she’s still so _Felicity_. He replies with a teasing, “Thanks.”

She lets out a deep sigh, which also feels uncomfortable, before she says, “I’m sorry. I meant to ask: how long have you been here?”

He looks at her, completely unguarded and unapologetic. “Since I brought you here. So about 40 hours. They had to do some surgery near your stomach. I bet you haven't slept this much since you got mono in middle school.” She has never seen him so vulnerable, joke and all. To most of the world, this new poker face probably belies his emotions but Felicity can see the worry and the affection. It's written in the brief tiny movements that someone can only see after spending years looking at them.

“Ugh. Don't remind me. I got 'the kissing disease' without even kissing anyone; it was completely unfair." She softens after a pause as she says, “Oliver, thank you for being here and I don't want you to think I don't appreciate it, but you should go home. Sleep. Shower. Eat.” She gently chides.

“I wanted to be here when you woke up.” He yawns and thinks about the word home. Spending five years away made him redefine a lot of things. Oliver may have his sister and a house to sleep in, but he can't call it home because something is missing. He sometimes worry that the hole will always be there, that he did leave a part of himself of the island. As he broods, Felicity realizes he won’t be leaving anytime soon. She can tell he needs the comfort just as much as, if not more so than she does so she scoots over on the bed – a feat that takes a lot of effort and some wincing on her part. After settling, she gives him a big smile and pats the spot next to her. It’s a small space for such a large person, and Oliver hesitates.

“C’mon Oliver. I’m tired, you're tired. I need sleep, you need sleep. Plus, I'm cold and you radiate heat like crazy, so get in.” Felicity says with a voice brokering no argument. It takes some awkward shuffling but Oliver ultimately manages to fit next to her without disrupting the IV or the heart monitor and more importantly, without causing her unnecessary pain. He has to lay on his side with the better part of his body pressed against hers. Even though something is poking his back, it is undeniably the most comfortable place he could be right now. His face is close enough that he can press a kiss the crown of her head. So he does. Oliver gently place an arm around her, an unintentionally protective gesture. He closes his eyes, relieved to be able to rest now that he knows she's okay.

Felicity, on the other hand, takes a moment to really look at her hospital room. She doesn't particularly like hospitals. All of the smells and sick people give her the heebie-jeebies; however with Oliver by her side, it's not so bad. Sparse decorations are spread through the space trying to make it seem less stale and depressing. There are some cute balloons and intricate flower arrangements but when she sees the daises on the windowsill, she lets out a soft little "Oh." before she smiles.

“They’re your favorite right?” Oliver says with one eye open, his head cushioned on one of his arms. Sentimentality pulls on her heartstrings; she still remembers the playdate and the scraped knee. She turns her head towards him, having to look up a little bit before she can give him a slight nod and a big grin. The movement causes her nose to bump against his, and both become acutely aware that their shallow breaths are now mingling. As they slowly gravitate towards each other, Felicity whispers, “Thank you, Oliver.”

He places his free hand over hers, giving it a quick squeeze and replying, “Of course Felicity.”

The last syllable of her name is cut off as they meet in the middle for a gentle kiss. It doesn't create fireworks or any of those other outlandish clichés about kissing. No, it feels like it has always meant to be this way. After pulling back and smiling softly, they both settle in. There is a lot of work to do in mending their relationship and in making plans for the future, but Felicity has faith they can figure it out. For right now, she's content right here.

He listens to her even breaths, the rhythm calming him down, and before he slips into unconsciousness, he realizes that he is finally home.

-

Unbeknownst to them, on the other side of the glass they garnered an audience. It began with Pepper and Tony, who only barely stopped themselves from walking through the door. Not five minutes later, Tommy and Thea arrived, both to visit Felicity and Oliver. After first hearing that Felicity was in the hospital, they both quickly learned there would be no way to pry Oliver from Felicity’s bedside. Both had brightened to see her awake and animated, smiling at Oliver who was uncharacteristically smiling back.

Once realizing that they didn't want to interrupt, they decided to catch dinner. While leaving, the four of them are unusually quite. Tony and Pepper are holding hands, so happy that their girl is happy. Tommy is radiating good will, with a look in his eyes that says ‘attaboy’ and Thea has a knowing smirk on her face as she breaks the silence.

“Two grand says they’re married by May.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I can say this, but this chapter concludes _this_ story. I really enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Thank you for being here, you've all been wonderful. 
> 
> This little Marvel/DC universe is fun, and I didn't put as much Tony Stark and Oliver Queen sassiness as I could have so I am pretty sure I'm going to write another story, if people are interested. The story kind of got away from me, but look at it this way:
> 
> The next story would have established Olicity. Oliver and Tony antagonizing each other. Felicity getting frustrated. It could be fun. Let me know what you think.
> 
> Leave me a comment here or my tumblr:  
> cellardoors-and-petrichor.tumblr.com
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> Update 05/25/15: I've started to write timestamps in this universe! See [ All My Roads Lead To You](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3998590/chapters/8979484)


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